Warriors remain undefeated with 48-32 triumph
Published in the January 4, 2017 edition
OLIVIA DZIADYK, a junior, goes up for a shot during the Georgetown game on Friday afternoon. Dziadyk netted 13 points to lead the Warriors in their Middlesex League Freedom division opener last night against Stoneham. Wakefield won, 48-32. (Donna Larsson File Photo)
By JIM SOUTHMAYD
STONEHAM — The Wakefield Memorial High girls’ basketball team remained undefeated, but it took until the third quarter for the Warriors to distance themselves from the Spartans last night in the Middlesex League Freedom division opener at Stoneham High School.
The Warriors went on an 8-0 run midway through the third quarter and gave themselves some breathing room as they topped the Spartans, 48-32, to go to 6-0 overall on the season.
Wakefield opened up a 12-3 first quarter lead and led 18-10 at halftime. But Stoneham hung in the contest and didn’t allow the Warriors to take a double digit lead for very long. Stoneham got as close as six points, but was never able to overtake Wakefield. The Warriors built up a 15 point lead, 33-18, after three quarters and the Spartans never really threatened again.
“We mixed up our defenses and did nice job,” said coach Meghan O’Connell. “We had a couple of spurts. One was to close out the first quarter and the other was in the third quarter. Stoneham won the second quarter against, 7-6, and they executed to their credit. Our defense held them until we got our shots to fall.”
For the fourth straight game, the Warrior defense held an opponent under 40 points. In six games this season, Wakefield’s defense is averaging 31.5 points per game allowed. Offensively Wakefield is averaging 48.7 points per game scored which is also a big reason why the team is 6-0.
Leading the way offensive for the Warriors was junior Olivia Dziadyk who recorded a game high 13 points including two treys. Allee Purcell, also a junior, netted 11 points and those were the only two players for either team to score in double digits.
Junior Hannah Dziadyk, junior Hailey Lovell, and sophomore Hannah Butler scored eight, seven, and six points, respectively.
Sophomore guard Sophie Kheboian canned a three-pointer with 5:07 left in the first quarter to give the Spartans a 3-2 lead, their only advantage of the game, after a shot off the glass by Lovell.
Wakefield then scored the next 10 points to open up a 12-3 after the first period.
Hannah Dziadyk made one of two free throws. Then Lovell completed a three-point play with a field goal and free throw. After two missed foul shots by Stoneham, Butler scored after receiving a nice pass from senior Brianna Smith. Olivia Dziadyk sunk a pull up jumper with 1:48 remaining and Smith got a perimeter shot to fall with 36.4 second left in the first as the Warriors led by nine.
Purcell sunk one of two free throws and then scored a field goal on a nice feed from senior Julia Hanley as the Warriors opened up a 15-3 lead with 5:34 remaining in the second quarter.
But over the final five and half minutes of the frame, the Spartans outscored Wakefield, 7-3, to stay in the game.
Senior guard/forward Molly Maloney and sophomore guard Julia Plourde each hit a free throw. Jamie Greatorex, a sophomore, missed two foul shots for Wakefield, but got the rebound, was fouled, and went to the charity stripe once again where she sunk one free trow.
Leah Sacco, a junior forward, scored from inside the paint and Plourde recorded a layup to cut the lead to 16-9. Sophomore guard Jillian Flynn made one of two free throws for Stoneham with 55.9 seconds. The half ended with Hannak Dziadyk making both foul shots with 17.1 seconds left as Wakefield led 18-10 at halftime.
Stoneham’s Meg Cleary, a junior center, scored from inside to cut the lead to 18-12 to begin the third quarter. Olivia Dziadyk answered with a three-point shot put the Warriors up by nine, 21-12, with 4:50 remaining in the third quarter.
Sacco scored from along the baseline before Purcell sunk two foul shots and scored a basket with a nice pass coming from senior Emma Butler as Wakefield extended its lead to 11 points, 25-14, with 3:06 remaining in the third.
Junior forward Kaitlyn Driscoll got a hook shot to fall with 2:51 left, but then Wakefield went on its decisive 8-0 run to open up its biggest lead of the game. Hannah Dziadyk got a trey to fall and then got the rebound on the defensive end and fired a perfect pass to Smith. Smith missed the layup, but Purcell was there for the putback. Olivia Dziadyk then recorded a trifecta of her own as the Warriors opened up a 33-16 lead.
Flynn putback a missed Spartan shot with 21.7 seconds left to cut the Warrior lead to 33-18 after the third period.
Wakefield maintained the double digit advantage for the entire fourth quarter. Wakefield’s biggest lead was 19 points, 39-20, and its slimmest lead of the final period was 12 points, 44-32.
Olivia Dziadyk scored five points, Butler scored four points, Lovell sunk two free throws, and Hannah Dziadyk and Purcell each had a basket in the frame.
“We were expecting a tough game and we kept working hard,” said O’Connell. “We know league play is going to be tough.”
Wakefield takes on Wilmington on Friday night at 7 p.m. at the Charbonneau Field House in another M.L. Freedom division contest.
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WAKEFIELD 48, Stoneham 32
At Stoneham High School
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WAKEFIELD (48) — Hanley 0 0 0; Lovell 2 3 7; O.Dziadyk 5 1 13; Purcell 4 3 11; H.Dziadyk 2 3 8; H.Butler 3 0 6; E.Butler 0 0 0; Smith 1 0 2; Greatorex 0 1 1. Totals 17 11 48.
Stoneham (32) — Kheboian 1 0 3; Plourde 3 1 7; Cleary 2 0 4; Sacco 2 0 4; Driscoll 3 0 6; Overlan 0 2 2; Flynn 2 1 5; Maloney 0 1 1. Totals 13 5 32.
Score by Quarters — WAKEFIELD 12-6-15-15 — 48. Stoneham 3-7-8-14 — 32.
Three-point FGs — Wak, O.Dziadyk 2, H.Dziadyk 1. Sto, Kheboian 1.
